Tamper-proof replaceable cap



July 26, 1966 p, GACH TAMPER-PROOF REPLACEABLE CAP Filed Aug. 19, 1964 INVENTOR. PETER 1 EACH.

AT T729 United States Patent "ice 3,262,600 TAMllER-PROOF REPLACEABLE CAP Peter P. Gach, Evansville, Ind, assignor to Sunbeam Plastics Corporation, Evansville, Ind, a corporation of Indiana Filed Aug. 19, 1964, Ser. No. 390,650 4 Claims. (Cl. 22027) This invention relates to a tamper-proof replaceable cap and, more particularly, to a tamper-proof replaceable cap for use on a container having a dispensing opening.

Certain types of dispensing containers, for example aerosol cans, consist of a cylindrical can body having a circular cross section with a raised or dome-shaped upper end. The dispensing opening is provided in the domeshaped upper end and consists of a valve structure through which the contents of the container is dispensed under pressure.

A cap is placed upon or over the dome-shaped upper end and surrounds the dispensing opening.

A serious problem encountered by merchants who market this type of container is that customers often remove caps from the cans prior to purchase. This may be done for either of two common reasons; first, to test or sample the contents of the can; and, second, because the price of the can is customarily stamped on the lid, to place the cap of a can which bears a lower selling price on a can having a higher selling price. These activities result in the merchants losing money on the dishonest capswitching sales or having a subsequent customer purchase a container which is only partially filled.

Problems which necessitate the placing of a replaceable cap on a container are the necessity of keeping dust and other contaminants from the dispensing opening and the prevention of accidental activation of the valve mechanism.

It is the primary object of the instant invention to provide a tamper-proof replaceable cap which is initially secured to a dispensing container until a portion of the cap is broken and which then clearly shows that the cap has been removed.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a tamper-proof replaceable cap which is adapted to be readily removed and replaced on the dispensing container subsequent to the initial removal of the cap.

It is a still further object of the instant invention to provide a tamper-proof replaceable cap whichserves as an effective dust and contaminant cover for the dispensing opening throughout the useful life of the container.

Other objects of this invention will become apparent from the following specification and drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary view in elevation, with parts broken away, of a container and a tamper-proof replaceable cap designed according to the instant invention, and

showing the use of a simple device, such as a coin, as a tool to break the initial tamper-proof structure;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the tamper-proof replaceable cap, according to the instant invention, shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view, shown on an enlarged scale, of the tamper-proof replaceable cap shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional view taken substantially along the line 44 of FIG. 2, with parts broken away;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional view taken substantially along the line 5-5 of FIG. 1, with parts broken away and showing expander means, according to the instant invention;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional view taken substantially along the line 6-6 of FIG. 2, with parts broken away;

3,262,600 Patented July 26, 1966 FIG. 7 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional view taken substantially along the line 7-7 of FIG. 2, with parts broken away and showing retaining means, according to the instant invention; and

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary, top plan view of the tamperproof replaceable cap, according to the instant invention, showing the cap after the tamper-proof seal has been broken.

Briefly, the invention relates to a tamper-proof replaceable cap for use on a dispensing container having a body which is circular in cross section. The container has a dispensing opening located at an upper end of its body and an annular, horizontally extending bead which extends radially outwardly from the container body adjacent the upper end. The tamper-proof replaceable cap, according to the instant invention, comprises an inverted cup-shaped body adapted to enclose the dispensing opening. An annular skirt is located adjacent the lower edge of the cap body and means are provided to releasably retain the skirt on the head of the container. The skirt has a breakaway portion of a reduced thickness. A pair of opposed shoulders are provided within the break-away portion. The shoulders extend radially outwardly from the skirt and define a tool receiving gap therebetween.

Refering to FIG. 1, a container and cap assembly is generally indicated at 10. The assembly 10 comprises a dispensing container 11 and a tamper-proof replaceable cap 12, according to the instant invention.

The dispensing container 11 has a body 13 which is cylindrical in cross section. A bottom 14 is crimped, or otherwise secured, to the lowermost end of the body 13 and, in like manner, a domed top 15 is secured to the upper end of the body 13 by an annular, horizontally extending bead 16. The head 16 extends radially outwardly slightly beyond the upper end of the body 13. A valve mechanism 17 includes a valve actuator 18 which defines 'a dispensing. opening 19.

- FIG. 1, is a pressurized container and the valve mechanism 17 is permanently mounted in an opening defined by the domed top 15, the instant invention is not limited to a tamper-proof replaceable cap for a pressurized container.

The tamper-proof replaceable cap 12, according to a preferred embodiment of the instant invention, has a generally cup-shaped body 20 with a continuous circumferentially depending skirt 21 located adjacent the lower end of the body 20.

In the preferred embodiment, the cap 12 is constructed of a semi-flexible material, for example polypropylene, for reasons which will be described in detail below.

The annular skirt 21 defines a bead recess 22 in its inner surface. An integral shoulder 23 on an annular radial web 29 defines the upper limit of the recess 22 and engages the top surface of the bead 16 when the cap 12 is in position on the container 11 thereby preventing further downward movement of the cap 12. Means integral with the skirt 21 are provided to releasably retain the cap 12 in position on the container 11. The retaining means consist of a plurality of inwardly directed and circumferentially spaced projections 24 which define the lower limit of the bead recess 22 and extend inwardly beneath the head 16 to releasably secure the cap 12 onto the bead 16 of the dispensing container 11.

A plurality of circumferentially spaced expanders 25 are provided on the underside of the annular skirt 21 of the cap 12. The diameter of a circle defined by the inner surfaces 26 of the expanders 25, and taken on a horizontal plane, is slightly smaller than the outside diameter of the bead 16 of the dispensing container 11. In the preferred embodiment, illustrated in the drawings, the

difference in the respective diameters is approximately .003". Because of the smaller diameter of the circle defined by the inner surfaces 26 of the expanders 25, the cap must be forced downwardly over the bead 16. When this is done, the annular skirt 21, constructed of semifiexible material, is deformed outwardly at the locations of the spaced expanders 25 and a compensating inward movement of the annular skirt 21 occurs at the locations of the projections 24. This inward movement of the projections 24 under the bead 16 tightly secures the tamper-proof replaceable cap 12 onto the dispensing container 11 during the initial assembly of the container and cap assembly 10. This construction afiords a container and cap assembly whereby the tamper-proof replaceable cap 12 cannot be easily removed by a purchaser of the unit until a portion of the skirt 21 has been broken, as will be explained in detail below.

The annular skirt 21 of the cap 12 has a break-away or frangible portion, generally indicated in FIG. 3 by the reference number 27. The break-away portion 27 includes an arcuate slot 28 in the annular web 29. A segment 30 of the skirt 21, which is integral with the web 29 and having a portion of reduced thickness, defines the frontal limit of the arcuate slot 28. A pair of shoulders 31 extend outwardly from the skirt 21 at the break-away portion 27 and define therebetween a tool receiving gap 32.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the tamper-proof replaceable cap 12 is releasably retained on the dispensing container 11 by the inwardly directed projections 24 which extend at least partially under the head 16. When in this initial condition, the cap 12 cannot be easily removed from the dispensing container 11. When it is desired to remove the tamper-proof replaceable cap 12, a tool, for example a coin 33, is inserted into the tool receiving gap 32 located between the shoulders 31. Twisting the coin 33 tears the reduced thickness portion of the skirt segment 30 of the break-away portion 27 (FIG. 8). Tension on the annular skirt 21 is released and the projections 24 move outwardly with respect to the bead 16 of the dispensing container 11. However, in the preferred embodiment, the projections 24 are still engaged beneath the bead 16 even after the break-away portion 27 has been fractured in order to retain the cap in place. With a slight amount of relative force, the user may now remove the tamper-proof replaceable cap 12 from the dispensing container 11 and, after use, the cap 12 may be replaced by pushing the projections 24 downwardly over the bead 16 until the bead 16 is nested within the bead recess 22, with the projections 24 again engaging the lower portion of the bead 16. Thus, even after the break-away portion 27 has been fractured, the tamper-proof replaceable cap 12 is in a second or replaceable condition.

The instant invention virtually eliminates the possibility of accidental or inadvertent breakage of the skirt segment 30. A tool, or other foreign object, must be inserted between the shoulders 31 to tear the break-away portion 27. There are no substantial outward projection-s on the cap 12 which can be accidentally bumped or hit thereby fracturing the skirt of the cap 12.

The cap of the invention provides an initially tamperproof closure which prevents the sampling of the contents or the substituting of caps from cheaper to more expensive containers. It also clearly shows whether or not it has been initially opened, yet can be replaced and retained in place after repetitive removals.

While the present invention has been disclosed with a specific arrangement and disposition of the parts, it should be expressly understood that numerous modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A tamper-proof replaceable cap for use on a dispensing container having an upright body and a dispensing opening located at an upper end of said body and a horizontally protruding bead around said body near the upper end thereof, .said tamper-proof replaceable cap comprising, an inverted cup-shaped body adapted to enclose said dispensing opening, an annular radial web at the lower edge of said body and a continuous, circumferentially depending skirt on said web, means integral with said skirt for releasably retaining said cap on said bead of said container, said skirt having a frangible portion comprising a section of a reduced thickness, said web defining a circumferentially extending opening adjacent said frangible portion, and a pair of opposed shoulders integral with and extending outwardly from said skirt, said shoulders being located adjacent said frangible portion, said shoulders defining a tool receiving gap therebetween.

2. A tamper-proof replaceable cap, according to claim 1, wherein said cap is constructed of a semi-flexible material, and wherein said means for releasably retaining said cap on said bead of said container comprises a plurality of inwardly directed, horizontally extending, and

circumferentially spaced projections engageable beneath said bead for releasably retaining said cap on said container, and a plurality of inwardly directed, horizontally extending, and circumferentially spaced expanders engageable with the outer diameter of said bead.

3. A tamper-proof replaceable cap, according to claim 2, wherein said expanders have a bead-contacting inner surf-ace and wherein the diameter of a circle defined by said inner surfaces is less than the outer diameter of said bead, whereby when said cap is forced downwardly over said bead such flexible material is deformed forcing said projections inwardly beneath said head.

4. A tamper-proof replaceable cap for use on a dispensing container having an upright body and a dispensing opening located at an upper end of said body and a horizontally protruding bead around said body near the upper end thereof, said tamper-proof replaceable cap comprising, an inverted cup-shaped body adapted to enclose said dispensing opening, a circumferentially extending radial web adjacent the lower edge of said body, a continuous, depending skirt at the outer margin of said web, said web and said skirt defining an arcuate slot at the lower edge of said body with a segment of said skirt defining the outer side of such slot, said skirt having a severable portion in such segment, means integral with said skirt for releasably retaining said cap on said container, and opposed shoulders integral with such segment of said skirt, said shoulders defining a tool receiving gap therebetween and being located adjacent said severable portion of said skirt.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 4/ 1964 Soffer 22027 9/1964 Edelstone et al 220-60 

1. A TAMPER-PROOF REPLACEABLE CAP FOR USE ON A DISPENSING CONTAINER HAVING AN UPRIGHT BODY AND A DISPENSING OPENING LOCATED AT AN UPPER END OF SAID BODY AND A HORIZONTALLY PROTRUDING BEAD AROUND SAID BODY NEAR THE UPPER END THEREOF, SAID TAMPER-PROOF REPLACEABLE CAP COMPRISING, IN INVERTED CAP-SHAPED BODY ADAPTED TO ENCLOSE SAID DISPENSING OPENING, AN ANNULAR RADIAL WEB AT THE LOWER EDGE OF SAID BODY AND A CONTINUOUS, CIRCUMFERENTIALLY DEPENDING SKIRT ON SAID WEB, MEANS INTEGRAL WITH SAID SKIRT FOR RELEASABLY RETAINING SAID CAP ON SAID BEAD OF SAID CONTAINER, SAID SKIRT HAVING A FRANGIBLE PORTION 